


bases loaded

by actuallyshua



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Baseball, Dialogue Heavy, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Seungcheol is In Denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-27 15:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20048314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actuallyshua/pseuds/actuallyshua
Summary: If he were to call himself jealous, which he wouldn’t, it would be hard to nail down exactly what he was jealous of. Maybe it was the way Joshua would laugh at Jeonghan’s jokes and touch his arm gently. Maybe it was the way Jeonghan would brush back Joshua’s hair with stars in his eyes. Maybe it was the way they never really did those things with him.Or -Seungcheol falls in love twice.





	bases loaded

It wasn’t often that Seungcheol thought about death. In fact, he never thought about it at all. He was too young for thoughts like that anyway, impending doom and infinite darkness (or light, depending).

But now, he was confronting it head on. The bat was mere centimeters from his face, so close that he felt the breeze as it went by and, had it not been for his face mask, he was sure he would’ve felt it brush across his nose. Seungcheol jolted himself backwards, sending a cloud of dust in his wake, and he ripped his mask off.

“Watch your swing, Gyu! You’re going to knock my head off!”

Mingyu turned to face him with a smile that read as an apology, “You know I’m not a batter, Seungcheol. Why are you making me do this, anyway? Seokmin doesn’t even know how to play shortstop!”

“Because,” Seungcheol said as he stood up, wiping the dirt from his pants, “With Junhui out for the season, we need someone else on bat. Seokmin has a lower batting average than you. Just focus on the ball. I’ll tell Joshua to go easier on you, okay? We’ve got a lot of time before the season starts.”

They didn’t, really. But it was his job as captain to make sure that every member of his team had a level head, clear thinking, easy hearts. He made his way over to the pitching mound where Joshua Hong, in all his glory, stood. It had been a sight Seungcheol had gotten too used to. One he would never forget, one that often manifested itself in his dreams.

  
But he couldn’t focus on that right now.

“Stop throwing him cutters. He’s swinging too hard to hit them and he’s going to commit involuntary manslaughter over it.”

Joshua laughed at his and adjusted his cap a few times, “You told me to challenge him!”

“You’re the only pitcher in the league who even throws cutters. And even then, you only do when you know you’ve got a solid batter on the plate. He’s not there yet, okay? Toss him some changeups. They’re slower.”

“Oh, come on,” And there he was, “Even Joshua’s changeups are too fast for Gyuie. Let me pitch for him, please?”

What was he even doing out here, if not to drive Seungcheol insane? But such as it was with his two best friends. The angel and the devil on his shoulders. But most days, it felt like two devils. Jeonghan and Joshua were a two for one pair. He learned this early on. Always together, always in sync, the two melded into his life like one melds into their bed after a long day. But unlike his bed, which was always warm and safe and comfortable, the two were sure to give him early grey hairs and onset migraines.

“Get back in the dugout, Jeonghan. You’re not on the mound today. You need to rest your shoulder.”

“So bossy. You know Joshua doesn’t know how to take it easy, even on his teammates!”

“Yes, I do!”

“No, you don’t!”

“I do! You’re just too soft!”

“It’s Mingyu! You have to be soft with him. He’s like a puppy, for christ’s sake.”

“He’s on bat this season! You know the pitchers he’ll be up against?”

“Shut up,” Seungcheol groaned, the two stopping their never really ending back and forth and looking at him, “Just. Be quiet. Between you two and Mingyu and Junhui and literally everyone else, I’m losing it. Jeonghan, please just go back to the dugout. Joshua, throw him changeups or don’t throw at all. I’ll put Chan on the mound if you don’t.”

Joshua pouted at this, his lower lip jutting out in a sickeningly adorable way, while Jeonghan just huffed, “Fine. But only because you asked so nicely.”

With a well-placed pinch to Seungcheol’s cheek, Jeonghan sauntered off back to the dugout and Seungcheol sighed, for probably the thirtieth time in the last twenty minutes, before he heard a distant voice from the outfield.

“Are we playing or what? I think Vernon is taking a nap!”

He looked out to the field to see Soonyoung waving his mitt around while Vernon lay on the grass next to him, arms folded neatly over his stomach.

It was his last season with this team. With his friends. And while most days he felt like he had a rain cloud over his head, today he felt a lot like packing his things just a few months early.

“Get up, Vernon! And yes, we’re playing,” He turned back to Joshua, “Changeups, got it?”

“Aye aye, captain.” He saluted with a wide smile and Seungcheol held back rolling his eyes. He knew Joshua meant well. He always did. The thing that first drew Seungcheol to him was just that. His kind heart. Joshua, while incredibly cheesy and a bit on the dorky side, would do anything for anyone at any time they needed him. When Seungcheol’s seas were stormy and he felt like he had no life preserver, Joshua always seemed to show up just in time to save him. Dependable to almost a fault, everyone could count on him.

The second thing that drew Seungcheol to Joshua was his smile. But that was something to discuss at a much later time.

For now, they had to practice.

And practice they did. Until their muscles were weak, their brows lined with sweat, and their water cooler drained. 

Seungcheol was sitting on one of the benches in the locker room, hair soaked from the impossibly hot shower he’d just taken, washing away not just dirt. But he didn’t feel comfortable. He felt something that he was never really able to define. Seungkwan called it jealousy. Seungcheol called that stupid.

He was watching them. Trying not to make it obvious but it was difficult.

Joshua and Jeonghan worked in tandem, always. He was convinced they were telepathic.

If he were to call himself jealous, which he wouldn’t, it would be hard to nail down exactly what he was jealous of. Maybe it was the way Joshua would laugh at Jeonghan’s jokes and touch his arm gently. Maybe it was the way Jeonghan would brush back Joshua’s hair with stars in his eyes. Maybe it was the way they never really did those things with him.

Despite being friends with the duo for years now, he sometimes was still a little unsure as to where he really fit in. Not including their weekly movie night, which meant that Seungcheol was always seated in the middle of the couch, sandwiched by the two and often feeling like his heart might burst out of his chest.

It was never their fault. They didn’t know how he felt. Honestly, he didn’t know how he felt either.

“Hello,” A hand waved in front of his face, pulling him from his trance, “Earth to cap.”

Seungcheol shook his head and blinked a few times, looking up to see Changkyun and Chan in front of him, “Oh, sorry guys. I was just thinking.”

The two shared a look that he couldn’t read before Changkyun smiled lightly, “No worries. Are you going coming to the party tonight? It’d be nice to see you cut loose for once.”

“There’s a party tonight?”

“We told you about this forever ago! It’s at Hyunwoo and Hoseok’s. You have to come,” Chan said with a light pout in his tone, Seungcheol knowing it would already be impossible to say no, “The whole team is going.”

He snuck a glance back over to the terrible two. Joshua was sitting on the bench while Jeonghan was leaning against the lockers, swapping some story that he couldn’t hear. Seungcheol was never really one for parties, always sat out and preferred the comfort of his own room, his own bed.

But if “the whole team” was going, he should seize the opportunity. It might be one of his last.

“Yeah,” He nodded a few times, “I’ll be there.”

It wasn’t until a few hours later that Seungcheol regretted saying yes to this party. While he was getting ready for it, with Joshua rambling in the background about his physics class, he was feeling excited. Excited to see all his teammates outside of the field or their classes. To let go a little and maybe just relax for once in his life. Then Jeonghan joined them, looking as beautiful as the first day he had met him, teasing Seungcheol about his outfit before picking out another one for him.

And that was what first drew Seungcheol to Jeonghan. He was unapologetically himself, never afraid to speak up about what he believed in, never afraid of eyes on him. Seungcheol never had to wonder what was going on in Jeonghan’s mind, as he would always let you know. He was fearless in a way that Seungcheol would never be but despite that, Jeonghan gave him strength. On the days when Seungcheol felt like he wasn’t good enough, like he was failing as a captain, Jeonghan would lift him from his pity party and brush away the rain clouds over his head. He was strong, stronger than most.

The second thing that drew him to Jeonghan was his laugh. But again, that was something to be talked about later.

So, here he was, wearing a shirt that he thought he looked a little ridiculous in, holding a too warm to drink soda and watching Jeonghan and Joshua dance in Hyunwoo’s living room. They were all smiles and laughter and delicate touches. To be fair, he had denied their request to join them. Seungcheol was never much of a dancer.

“You know, to anyone else who doesn’t know you, you probably seem like a real creep. The way you’re always looking at them. It’s gross.” Vernon appeared next to him, Seungkwan on the other side. Another terrible two.

“It’s not gross. And I wasn’t staring at them.”

“Yes, you were! And you have been for like a thousand years now. But that’s not why we’re here,” Seungkwan paused briefly, “Well, kind of. Come into Hyunwoo’s room. I have something to show you!”

Seungcheol raised his eyebrows at this as Vernon and Seungkwan departed, watching them walk into Hyunwoo’s room. What could be going on in there, he wasn’t sure, but he took another glance at the two dancing star beams illuminating the room and decided that his eyes were starting to hurt anyway.

He set his drink down and made his way down the crowded hallway, greeting both teammates and classmates alike. Finally reaching Hyunwoo’s room, he opened the door and stopped in his tracks.

He wasn't really sure what he was looking at. It reminded him of art projects he used to make when he was, let's say, five-years-old. Crude writing and pieces of uneven string glued to a board. In the left corner, a photo of Jeonghan. In the right, one of Joshua. And there, in the center, with two strings glued to each eye, a photo of himself.

"Do," He started before running a hand through his hair, "Do I even want to know?" 

"Yes, you do! Chan and I spent all night on this!" 

"It wasn't my idea." Chan quietly said from the other side of the board, his head poking out. He was sporting a nervous smile.

Seungcheol believed him. Wherever there was a terrible idea, Seungkwan was quickly right behind it

"I've figured out the perfect way for you to confess to not only one," He slapped Jeonghan's photo, "But two," A slap to Joshua's, "Of your soulmates."

"I've told you they're not my soulmates. They're my best friends. Take this down and stop meddling in my love life, please?" 

Seungkwan huffed, stomping his foot like a child, "You aren't even going to sit here and listen to my master plan?

"No. And does Hyunwoo know you’ve turned his room into some arts and crafts corner? Where did you even get all this stuff? And where did you get those pictures? I just,” Seungcheol sighed again, shaking his head, “This is ridiculous.”

  
“C’mon, cap. He worked really hard on this.” Minhyuk, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, stated and Seungcheol shot daggers at him. Since when was this of all things a team effort? He wished they’d put this much energy into running the field.

“They’re not my soulmates!”

“They absolutely are. And I think that’s great! I mean, I only have one boyfriend,” Seungkwan gestured to Vernon, who smiled but then quickly wrinkled his eyebrows together, “You could have two!”

Seungcheol wasn’t really ready to have this conversation. With himself. With anybody. But the eyes on him, the baited breaths, the strangely endearing passion Seungkwan had for this, gave him a push of pressure. Maybe it was just time.

“They don’t like me like that, okay? They like each other. It’s different, the way they act with each other than with me. You guys just don’t see that.”

There was a stiff silence that made Seungcheol feel like crawling out of his skin. It was heavy, like a weighted blanket.

Chan was, surprisingly, the first to speak. Still hiding behind the board, he cleared his throat gently, “We see more than you think we do. I know we’re just teammates most of the time, but I also know we all consider each other friends. Some of us more than that. It’s easy to keep repeating a lie to yourself. Over time, you trick yourself into thinking that it’s true.”

“Well. I’ll be damned!” Vernon stood up from the bed he was seated on, wrapping an arm roughly around Chan’s shoulders, “When did our baby get so smart?”

“I’ve always been smart,” Chan said, annoyance lacing each word, “You just never noticed.”

_You just never noticed._

Seungcheol didn’t reply to Chan. He didn’t have to. Instead, he just marinated in his words. Before leaving, he told Seungkwan to get rid of that board. It would be an embarrassing find whenever Hyunwoo decided to retreat to his bedroom.

He made his way back out to the party. It was much more crowded than it had been just ten minutes ago, and he wondered how quickly word traveled around here. But he was always worried about things like that. What people had to say. What they thought. And that was probably one of his biggest downfalls.

“There you are! I was starting to think you’d left without me.” Jeonghan half-shouted at him, bumping his hip with his own.

“No, just got dragged into another one of Seungkwan’s hurricanes.”

Jeonghan whistled, “And you made it out in one piece? You deserve a medal of honor.”

“Where’s Josh?”

“Dancing with Kihyun. I told him I’d come get you though, I think we’re almost ready to go. What do you say? Burgers and shakes? The stars are out tonight,” Jeonghan wrapped an arm around Seungcheol’s waist and rested his head on his shoulder, “We haven’t had any time to ourselves lately.”

Jeonghan’s voice, always smooth like honey, infiltrated his mind and he knew if Jeonghan were any closer, he’d surely hear Seungcheol’s heart racing in his chest.

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

“Good,” Jeonghan gave him a small squeeze, “Go get Joshy. I’ll get the car ready!”

And just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. His arm leaving a warm sensation around Seungcheol’s waist, the man sighed for the fiftieth time that night before turning his attention back to the middle of the room. Joshua was swaying back and forth clumsily with Kihyun, Seungcheol feeling far less threatened than he would’ve had it been someone else’s arms around his waist. Kihyun was harmless. And very much in love with Minhyuk.

He approached the two with a smile, placing a hand on Kihyun’s shoulder, “Sorry to break up the fun, but I have to steal this one from you.”

Kihyun groaned dramatically, pulling Joshua closer to his chest, smushing the boys face into his collarbones. With a laugh, Seungcheol reached out and separated them, tugging Joshua away from the arms that were clinging to him. It was easy, really. Joshua was light as a feather and Kihyun was only faking his despair. They’d see each other on the field in just two days time. But Joshua, even just for a laugh like in this moment, had that effect on people.

No one was ever really ready to let him go.

“Where are we going?” Joshua asked as they made their way towards the door, Seungcheol’s hands still on him and his body leaning into Seungcheol’s side. It was comfortable. It made sense.

“Jeonghan is getting the car ready. We’re going to get some burgers and shakes. He also said,” He struggled with the door a little bit, huffing to himself before ushering Joshua outside, “The stars are really pretty tonight.”

And they were. But Seungcheol wasn’t looking at the sky. Joshua was smiling at him, eyes glistening like the milky way. Swirling with pools of burnt out planets and meteors. It was easy to get lost in them, like driving around a city you’d never been to before.

“That’ll be fun. It’s been a while since we’ve had a date night.”

He hated when Joshua or Jeonghan said things like that. So playfully, like it meant nothing.

“Yeah,” He managed to get out, “I guess so.”

Jeonghan pulled up in just a few moments time and Seungcheol found himself in the backseat, of course, listening to the two fight over what to play on the radio. Jeonghan’s argument that it was his car so he should be able to play what he wanted. Joshua counterargued this with the fact that choosing songs would make Jeonghan a distracted driver so really, he should be in charge. Seungcheol didn’t really care what they listened to, listening to their voices was music enough for him.

He always joked about how they stressed him out, made his head hurt, but that was far from the truth. It wasn’t easy to come to terms with, it still wasn’t. But he kept thinking back to what Chan said. Maybe there really was something he had missed? He couldn’t see how that was possible. He prided himself on being the ever observant one, always on his game.

Seungcheol would never miss the hidden laughter in the locker room, the way Jeonghan would always have his arm around Joshua as they walked the halls together, the times when they’d all end up spending the night at Joshua’s and Joshua would card his fingers through Jeonghan’s hair.

But those nights also belonged to Seungcheol always sleeping in the middle of the two, limbs intertwining, and minds far lost in dreams. He was always the last to fall asleep. It was hard to when his chest would be rattling with the sounds of rapid fire. It was a night like that, some years ago, that he realized the rapid fire was going in two directions.

An impossible thing. Feeling love twice as much. At least, that’s what he used to think.

“Why do you keep spacing out tonight? What’s going on in that brain of yours?” Joshua was suddenly in his face and Seungcheol jumped a little bit, quick to clear his throat and shake his head.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing,” Joshua questioned, making a tiny fist and knocking on his forehead twice, “I don’t buy it. Come on! Tell me! We tell each other everything.” He pouted, resting his chin against the passenger seat as he twisted to face Seungcheol.

He was never that great at lying. But speaking his mind wasn’t an option.

“I’m just worried about this season, I guess. It’s our last one, you know?”

Jeonghan joined the conversation, humming knowingly as he drummed against the steering wheel with his fingers, “Have you and Jihoon talked about who is going to be captain when we graduate? He’ll be hard pressed to find someone to fill your shoes.” He snuck a glace back in the rearview mirror, Seungcheol able to see the smile in his eyes.

“We’ve been thinking about Soonyoung. He’s a good leader for the outfielders but a bit scatterbrained sometimes. His attitude is right, though. Minghao is also an option.”

Joshua snorted lightly, “He’ll tear them to shreds. He made Mingyu cry last season!”

“That was unrelated to baseball and you know that. He’d be a good captain, but I don’t know if that’s what he wants to do. Soonyoung would be more willing to take the position.”

“I vote Soonyoung.”

“I’d vote for Chan.” Jeonghan said pointedly and Seungcheol raised his eyebrows at this.

“But he’s a freshman. He’s not ready for that.”

Jeonghan hummed again and Seungcheol prepared himself for a lecture. But one he would always willingly listen to.

“Everyone responds to him really well. You wouldn’t have to worry about respect being an issue. I swear half of them look up to him, anyway. He’s a really skilled player and might be a bit awkward at first, but he really lifts the team up a lot. Chan knows the game better than all of us, so,” The car stopped and Jeonghan shrugged lightly, “I just think it would be something to think about. But I know at the end of the day, you’ll do what’s best for the team.”

Tonight seemed to be a night of lessons, of learning and discovering.

The three left the seriousness in the car as they ordered their food, the mood lighter now and more airy, easier to navigate. He wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something different about tonight. Maybe it was something in the air, a change in the weather, but something just felt strange. It wasn’t uncomfortable or worrisome. Just something unknown. Seungcheol couldn’t put his finger on it, why there was a shift. This was something they did all the time.

Got their food, back into the car, and then drove off the dirt pathway to the open field near their school. It had the best view of the night sky, not yet tainted by any buildings, or lights, or pollution. The perfect place to look at the stars. It was almost like a ritual.

It all started the first time the two ever saw Joshua cry. It didn’t matter why it had happened, but they knew they had to fix it. So Jeonghan ordered them the greasiest food they could get their hands on and Seungcheol made a makeshift picnic on the field. Before the times any of the them knew how to drive, it was a bit of a hike, but it was worth it. Worth it because of the way Joshua’s tears were replaced with smiles. Worth it because Seungcheol got to watch his face light up even in the darkness.

Thankfully, there were no tears tonight.

Just three bodies sitting on the roof of Jeonghan’s car, sharing bites of food and the type of comfortability that only comes with friendship like theirs.

He wondered why it couldn’t just be like this forever. An eternity of Jeonghan leaning into him as he laughed and Joshua tossing french fries into his mouth. It sounded blissful.

“All that talk of a new captain made me kind of sad.” Joshua said after the laughter had died down. He wasn’t looking up from his food, avoiding making eyes with the two around him.

“Why’s that?” Seungcheol asked, already knowing the answer.

“Well, first of all, no one could ever be as good of a captain as you.” Jeonghan answered for him, his shoulder blade cutting into Seungcheol’s side harder as he leaned in deeper. It was painful but he’d never say that out loud.

“Yeah, right. Your flattery doesn’t work on me.”

It did.

“He’s right. You’re a born leader, Cheol. You always have been. And not even just with baseball, I mean, like with everything. You don’t give yourself enough credit for all you do for everyone.”

Well, that was unexpected. Joshua’s words swirled around his mind before sinking in and settling. He couldn’t help but smile a little bit, shaking his head a few times.

“I just do what I have to do.”

“You do it so well, though. The whole team is going to miss you.”

Seungcheol was started to feel flustered, unsure of where any of this was going, “I’ll miss them too.”

“But not us,” Jeonghan sat up, his smile and tone still bright despite the mood, “We’ll always be together, yeah? We won’t have the chance to miss each other.”

But he did miss them. He missed them on weekends when he’d have too much homework to do. He’d miss them when one of them would be sick and only two felt incomplete. He’d miss them on sleepless nights when pillows tucked under his arms never gave him the same warmth as they did.

“That’s true,” Joshua was thankfully smiling again as he looked at Seungcheol, “You’re stuck with us.”

His tone was soft, meaningful. There was a spark in his eyes that Seungcheol had never seen before and it made question after question twirl around in his brain. What did any of this mean? Why were they talking like this? What was he supposed to say now?

  
“I think I’m okay with that.”

And maybe it was a little bold. Bolder than he usually was. Because Joshua and Jeonghan shared a look that he couldn’t read.

It was Jeonghan who spoke first.

“Are you?”

Seungcheol didn’t understand the question.

“Am I? Yeah,” He looked between the two of them, eyebrows creased, “Of course I am.”

“Jeonghan, stop. Now isn’t the time.”

“No, you and I agreed that it was. Come on, Joshua. He deserves to know and you and I both said that it was now or never, right? No matter what happens.”

And now he could pinpoint his emotion. Fear. It was happening, finally. They were going to tell him that they were together. That they loved each other. That they had for quite some time now. It was obvious, really, he’d seen it coming. But he still held onto to a small hope that maybe he was just reading too much into things. That he was wrong.

He didn’t want to ask. He didn’t want to hear it.

But they were his best friends. His everything. And Seungcheol knew that he’d rather suffer a broken heart pitifully beating in his chest everyday than lose them.

So, he swallowed thickly and masked any pain, “What are you talking about?”

“Us,” Jeonghan nodded to Joshua, “Me and him.”

“That’s not the wh-"

Joshua was cut off again as Jeonghan glared at him, “You said you’d let me do all the talking. Plus, the speech you rehearsed was terrible. I’m the poet here.”

“Can you two please just tell me what’s going on?” He was truly growing tired of the back and forth for the first time in his life. There wasn’t any need to drag this out any longer.

Just rip it off, like a bandaid.

“I love Joshua. And he loves me. But we haven’t been dating or anything. It’s just something that we’ve known, you know? Well, yeah, you know. And we know that you know,” How many times could Jeonghan fit the word “know” into a sentence, “But anyway. Well, now I’m nervous. Joshua, you talk.”

Joshua groaned, throwing his head back dramatically, “This isn’t going at all how I imagined. Okay,” He clapped his hands together, “Look. It’s been an unspoken thing between all of us, I think. Jeonghan and I have only been talking about it recently, but we thought it was unfair to not have you there, too. You’re just as much a part of this. If you want to be, that is.”

He thought back to Chan, again.

  
How everyone saw more than he thought they did.

“I don’t understand.” He spoke in almost a whisper, everything feeling so delicate.

“Yes, you do. I know you do.”

And he did. But it was hard to swallow. He should be happy, jumping for joy, even. There was something weighing him down, holding him back from jumping in. But if they were being honest, opening up to him, then he should pay them that same respect.

“I guess I always thought that I was just kind of the tag along. You guys are like ying and yang, two peas in a pod, shit like that. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out where I’d fit in. If there was room for me.”

Joshua was the first to reach out, taking his hand in a way he never had before. They’d touched like this, many times. Palms flush against each other, fingers interlocked. But it wasn’t the same. Nothing was now.

“There’s always room for you.”

“Yeah,” Jeonghan took his other hand, squeezing it a little too hard, “Always. You’re never a second thought.”

He had a lot of questions but knew where to start.

“How long have you known?”

Context wasn’t needed, the two knowing what he meant.

“Two years.” Joshua smiled lightly.

“Three.” Jeonghan added on.

And this made Seungcheol laugh. Really laugh. For the first time all night. It started in his stomach, a rumbling like hunger, the traveled up to his throat, a tickling feeling as it escaped his lips. He couldn’t help it, really. It was all too much hitting him too quickly, like a rogue wave in the ocean.

“So,” He managed to get out through his laughter, “We’ve all been in love with each other for years and haven’t said anything about it until now?”

Jeonghan looked relieved. Joshua looked happy.

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.” Jeonghan joining him in the laughter.

  
And how could they not find this comical? It was so very them. Three oblivious boys, two clicking together before the third, finally finding themselves together in a different way. A way they’ve all always wanted but had been too afraid to speak of. Maybe it was the fear of losing each other, of creating a divide after the feelings weren’t returned.

But they were. The feelings were returned.

“Seungkwan made a board.”

Joshua raised his eyebrows, “What?”

“At the party,” Seungcheol shook his head, “He made this board. It had our pictures on it and weird strings going all over the place. He told me he had a master plan to help me confess to you two. He said it was the perfect way. He said,” He paused at this, looking at each of them for a moment before turning his head to the stars, “He said that we’re soulmates.”

“That’s the most Seungkwan thing I have ever heard. But he’s right, you know,” Jeonghan shuffled the empty food bags out of the way, making room for Joshua to scoot closer to them, “No one could put up with us the way that you do.”

Joshua thankfully got the hint and slid himself closer, the trio moving in sync to lay down on the roof and do what they really came here to do.

  
Star gaze.

They were brighter tonight. Or maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Maybe it was because he was laying between them but this time it meant something. Maybe it was because Jeonghan was tracing small patterns into his arm and Joshua still hadn’t let go of his hand.

Maybe the stars shined brighter when your heart felt lighter.

“I love you.” He whispered, speaking it into existence. And oh, did it feel good.

“I love you too.” They said at the same time.

And normally, this would’ve been fine. It was done. Finalized. Set in stone. Settled.

But this was Jeonghan and Joshua, so nothing was ever really settled. The two shot their heads up and glared at each other across Seungcheol’s chest.

“I said it first.” Joshua started.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I totally did!”

“I did!”

“You didn’t! You hesitated. I absolutely said it before you.”

Seungcheol didn’t tell them to shut up, to just stop and lay down. He let them fight because this is how it would always be.

And if his always was now listening to them argue over who said they loved him first, well, that was more than a perfect always to him.

**Author's Note:**

> we love dumb boys who love each other !!!!!
> 
> this was a commission for my dear friend [julie](https://twitter.com/lesbiansforjin)  
tysm for having me write this for you  
i had a lot of fun hehe
> 
> if youd like to, feel free to check out my [twitter](https://twitter.com/hongshus)
> 
> and a very special thank you to [shauna](https://twitter.com/pinkwinwin) for talking me through this one 
> 
> comments and kudos always appreciated <3


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